A telescopically assembled, Merlin™ Family Connector is provided with one or more sets of threads on substantially matching frustoconical surfaces of a pin and a box of the connector. Strengthening means are introduced involving at least one of: a mechanical stiffening clamp interacting with an outside surface of the box or a mechanical stiffening clamp interacting with an inside surface of the pin. The stiffening clamps may include systems of arbitrarily oriented ribs and/or fairing surfaces. The said strengthening means may be essentially annular clamps that would have relatively regular shapes essentially conforming to the external or internal surfaces of the box or the pin, respectively. The above modifications can be introduced to traditional connectors and to connectors designed to transfer high torsional loads.

A threaded connection for steel pipe with improved sealing performance is provided. A threaded connection (1) includes a pin (10) and a box (20). The pin (10) includes a pin shoulder surface (11), a pin sealing surface (12) and a male thread (13). The box (20) includes a box shoulder surface (21), a box sealing surface (22) and a female thread (23). The male thread (13) and female thread (23) are constituted by wedge threads. When the connection has been made up, the pin shoulder surface (11) is in contact with the box shoulder surface (21), the stabbing flank and load flank of the male thread (13) are in contact with the stabbing flank and load flank, respectively, of the female thread (23), and the pin sealing surface (12) is in contact with the box sealing surface (22). The shoulder angle is 4° or larger. The shoulder angle is the angle formed by each of the shoulder surfaces (11, 21) with a plane perpendicular to the pipe axis (CL) when the connection is not made up.

In a threaded connection for pipe with a two-step thread construction, including intermediate shoulders, during stabbing, the internal-pressure sealing surface of the pin near its tip is prevented from contacting the intermediate shoulder of the box and thus receiving damage. L.sub.P, L.sub.B, h.sub.P and h.sub.B shown in FIG. 2 satisfy Expressions (1) and (2), provided below. θ.sub.seal is the angle of slope of the straight line connecting the two ends, as determined along the axial direction, of the internal-pressure sealing surface of the pin. Expression (3), provided below, is also satisfied.

L.sub.P<L.sub.B  (1)

h.sub.B<h.sub.P(L.sub.B−L.sub.P)×tan θ.sub.seal  (2)

L.sub.SP<L.sub.B−L.sub.P  (3)

A threaded connection with good internal-pressure and external-pressure sealability while preventing galling is provided. A threaded connection 1 includes a pin 10 and a box 20. The pin 10 includes a pin lip 11, a pin metal seal 13, and a cylindrical inner machined surface 14. The pin metal seal 13 includes a pin seal taper surface 16 and a pin seal curvature surface 17. The box 20 includes a box metal seal 22 parallel to the pin seal taper surface 16. The pin metal seal 13 sealingly contacts the box metal seal 22 at a seal point SP. The threaded connection satisfies the following expressions, (1) and (2),
L>Lm>Ls  (1), and
tb/tp>1.6  (2).
L is the length of the pin lip 11; Lm is the distance between the tip AP of the pin and the end point of the cylindrical inner machined surface 14; Ls is the distance between the tip AP of the pin 10 and the seal point SP; tb is the wall thickness of the box 20 as measured at the seal point SP when the connection is made up; and tp is the wall thickness of the pin 10 as measured at the seal point SP.

A system for blocking rotation between a first tubular and a second tubular includes a key positioned within a recess formed in the first tubular. The system also includes a retention fastener securing the key to the first tubular, the retention fastener being arranged within an elongated aperture extending through the key. The system further includes an installation fastener moving the key from a storage configuration when in a first position to an engaged configuration when in a second position, the installation fastener having a tapered face that engages at least a portion of the key. The system also includes teeth arranged along a bottom portion of the key, proximate the second tubular, the teeth engaging the second tubular via rotation of the key about the retention fastener and blocking rotation of the first tubular relative to the second tubular in a first direction.

This invention builds up on technical features and on the industry experience with the use of Merlin™ family connectors. In addition to friction, structural means utilized to transfer high torsional loads include dog-clutch teeth and may also include: interlocked thread systems, shear pins, keys and splines, all used in isolation or in arbitrary combinations. Static and fatigue bending load capacities of the connectors remain high, while the axial load capacities may or may not be high, depending on the design requirements. Connectors according to this invention can be built as new, carefully optimized designs. In some cases upgrading existing Merlin™ family connector designs to increase they torque transfer capacities may be also feasible.

A threaded joint is constructed of a pin and a box, the box having an outside diameter less than 104% of an outside diameter of a tubular body having the pin. The box includes, in order from an end of the box toward the tubular body: a lip portion and a female threaded portion, the lip portion including a shoulder surface and a sealing surface. The pin includes a shoulder surface, a sealing surface, and a male threaded portion. The lip portion of the box has a nose portion disposed between the shoulder surface and the sealing surface and an annular portion disposed between the sealing surface and the female threaded portion. The nose portion and the annular portion are not in contact with the pin, and a length of the annular portion is longer than a thread pitch of the female threaded portion.

A coupling including a tubular body with two ends of the body each including a portion of internal threading for joining to a tubular element, and a central portion separating the two ends each including a portion of threading and having a wall thickness greater than the wall thickness of the ends of the body. The coupling includes an extension segment that extends from one of the ends of the tubular body, after the portion of internal threading, the extension segment having same outside diameter as that of the tubular body and an inside diameter greater than or equal to that of the portion of internal threading. Moreover, the extension segment includes a housing, including an opening onto an external surface of the coupling, in which an electronically responsive identification tag is housed.

A connector for connecting pipes and for use with power tongs have a die length. The connector includes a body with threaded connection portions at each end of the body on an inside surface of the body. The connector includes a gripping surface defined on an outside surface of the body between the threaded connection portions. The gripping surface is at least as long as the die length. The connector includes a reinforced portion of the body proximate each of the threaded connection portions for increasing resistance to deformation of the body upon being connected with a pipe. The gripping surface and the reinforced portion together facilitate an increase in connection torque of pipes connected with the connector.

A cap is described for connection to a medical connector, the cap includes a housing having a top wall and sidewall forming a first cavity, and a removable or integrally formed protrusion. The protrusion includes an inner thread on an inner surface, the inner thread being sufficient to interlock with a mating feature of a female needleless connector. The inner surface of the protrusion defines a second cavity. The protrusion includes an outer thread on an outer surface, the outer thread being sufficient to interlock with a mating feature of a male needleless connector. The second cavity configured to define a chamber to contain an absorbent material and disinfectant or antimicrobial agent. The cap may also include a peel seal and/or septum to prevent the disinfectant or the antimicrobial agent from exiting the second cavity. An exterior sidewall surface of the housing may include a plurality of grip members.